1956 Chevrolet Two Door.

[vppelt68]

Thanks for those links, Tony... Have you seen this?

[Ventora3300]

Fascinating build, Tony, and it will indeed be a welcome change from aircraft for a while. These are the sort of 'hot-rods' that I dreamed about having (full scale) when I was a young driver - closest I got was installing a large Nikki twin choke carb on my 1966 Vauxhall Viva HB 1159cc and very quickly burning out the clutch! Enjoying your build. All the best. Mike

[TonyW]

2 hours ago, vppelt68 said:

Thanks for those links, Tony... Have you seen this?

Fantastic! Thanks for the link, I didn't know there was a full size near replica out there. I love that interior.

 

There's been a few full size Monogram kit copies, the Black Widow, Green Hornet, Blue Beetle, Big T, and the red version of the big '32 Roadster have all hit the show circuit. It's an idea I really like.

 

This one needs doing...

 

[TonyW]

I got a bit done on the '56 yesterday. Not much to write home about, but better than nothing.

The body needs a full sanding before paintwork can start, and I'm still undecided on color. I tried a couple of different ideas, used as guide coats for sanding. First up was a Rusoleum blue. Not bad, but far too plastic looking, I might as well have polished the kit plastic instead! Then the roof got hit with Tamiya Metallic Red out of a spray can. It looked a bit dull until I hand painted some Tamiya clear red over it. The colour lit up at that point! Too Custom for this Gasser though. It will however, be perfect for a Monogram Predicta I have in the pipeline so the trial had a purpose. These experiments are due to be sanded off today with a bit of luck.

 

 

I think I'll be going for a pale blue metallic for this one. I'll pick a can up next time I'm near a Motor Factor.

[TonyW]

A trip out today see's a couple of cans of spray paint discovered in my local Wilco of all places.

£5.00 for a big can was a whole lot better than the prices Halfords would like, so I got a couple to try. Their bright gold looks like it could be a goer here, I like the way the Firestone gold band tire sits against it. The color is bright and clear, with a very fine grain. The test piece is a bit of 5 thou plastic card. No primer, no reaction either. So far so good...

I'll try a clear coat over it in the morning and I'll also fire up another series of tests, Tamiya clear orange, yellow and red over the gold to see how that lot pan out. One or other resulting color will be used on the '56.

 

 

I also picked up a can of bright lime green that will hopefully be making an appearance on the Forum on a Mopar of some sort. Wilco also had what would probably pass for Mopar Plum Crazy as well. I see a re-visit in my future...

 

Tony.

Edited November 7, 2019 by TonyW

[TonyW]

The '56 got a sanding session thrown its way today ,600 paper used wet.  Then 800 with 1500 bringing up the rear. White primer for dessert.

There's a fair bit still to do. The remains of the Tamiya red have reacted with the primer, so yet more sanding is in my future. The seam where my fender addition meets the chrome trim needs a bit of getting at as well. Tomorrow will see me either addressing the issue or leaving early for Telford.

 

The slightest twinge of panic about the closing date of the GB just passed me by...

 

[TonyW]

I've had a time related panic think about this one.

I want the model to have a straight axle up front, along with all the associated bits and bobs. Time might be an issue though. Best I plan ahead.

I'm going to assemble the front end, chassis wise, and then cut the whole lot off!

If I manage to build my custom front end, all well and good. If things look a bit tight, I'll re-install the original front end. With forward planning this good, I should be in charge of any country planing to take a suicidal leap into the unknown!

[Rabbit Leader]

C'mon along in some fashion their Tony, I'm sure it will look the part once you've decided how you want it? 

Cheers.. Dave  

[busnproplinerfan]

9 hours ago, TonyW said:

I've had a time related panic think about this one.

I want the model to have a straight axle up front, along with all the associated bits and bobs. Time might be an issue though. Best I plan ahead.

I'm going to assemble the front end, chassis wise, and then cut the whole lot off!

If I manage to build my custom front end, all well and good. If things look a bit tight, I'll re-install the original front end. With forward planning this good, I should be in charge of any country planing to take a suicidal leap into the unknown!

You're going for a gasser look, those are just plain cool. So far you're doing good. Find or make up some high arched springs(high boy springs), mounts. Steering box most likely has to be moved, maybe not because it's behind the wheels, just need to make a pitman arm or something that resembles one. Straight axle can just be a rod with steerable spindles. The real ones were just a bunch of homemade parts of whatever was on hand. Don't be afraid to cut out the front wheel wells if it gets cramped, it saves weight. This kit in stock form has a wheelbase problem, the front wheels are I think 2 mm to far back. I made one and adjusted it.

Edited November 9, 2019 by busnproplinerfan

[TonyW]

All I had to do was build the kit as Monogram intended. A change of wheels should have been enough to satisfy the urge to modify. That way the build would have been done by now and I could put my feet up or even maybe start another one!

 

Instead I've put the Chevy on a diet by hacking out the inner fenders and front chassis rails, meaning I'm now committed to scratch building the whole front front end. Nothing ventured, nothing gained...

Seeing the front clip sat on my bench makes me realise just how much weight is removed on the real thing by this method. Add that to a fiberglass tilt front, headers, ally inlet manifold and lightweight seats etc and the car is suddenly 3-400lb lighter than stock, all where it counts for drag racing as well. Free horsepower in effect. That's the second time I've mentioned a tilt front. Looks like I'll be getting the razor saw out soon.

 

The 12 days left to run for the GB seems like a long time at the moment, what could possibly go wrong?

 

 

 

[Rabbit Leader]

Yes, time is running out however if anyone can make it happen, it’s most certainly you Tony. You’ve bitten a fair bit, but you’ll get there.. I’m backing ya! 
 

Cheers... Dave 

[CliffB]

Time to put the pedal to the metal Tony

 

(really, I should be cracking on with my unfinished '56 build, rather than typing this!).

 

[TonyW]

The final color scheme continues to elude me.

Metallics seem to enhance the lines of model cars somehow, the way light reflects back seems softer than straight paint to me. A can of metallic mid blue was discovered in my paint stores. It got used on a Chevy II build that's sitting unfinished in its box in the loft. Here's the car in question...

 

 

... the color looks fine there. I tried it on the '56 and it just failed! It looked far too staid to me. Curses.

 

 

With a bit of desperation now creeping in, I tried the failsafe route, Resale Red! It looks a bit dark here as it's been shot straight over the blue attempt without primer.

 

 

It would work at a push. It just doesn't grab me like it should.

I'll be flatting the finish off one more time and trying yet another idea. If this one doesn't work I'll revert to bright red as a default scheme. I'll report back later.

 

Right, where's the wet and dry...

 

Tony.

Edited November 13, 2019 by TonyW

[busnproplinerfan]

Maybe dull it down and scuff through the paint layers to look weathered. Add some light rust colour on the tops of the fenders and roof. Look like a southern U.S. car. Just a thought. Race nights coming, have to get it running.

[TonyW]

Not a bad idea but I'm after more of a finished look for this one. Thoughts of a grey or brown primer front end and primer around the rear arches have crossed my mind. Too many choices!

Edited November 13, 2019 by TonyW

[TonyW]

The postman just dropped of an order I made a while back, 100 plastic desert spoons! Bought as test mules for paint finishes for a couple of pence each. I wish I had got these before I started my paint experiments!

 

The idea isn't mine, I found it either here or on one of the car forums. Whoever posted it deserves a medal.

 

Here's a few experiments with the paint still wet on them!

 

First up, from right to left, Base gold. Then Tamiya clear orange shot over gold. Then Tamiya clear orange shot over Tamiya metallic red. Lastly, Tamiya clear red shot over Tamiya metallic red. The centerer pair have got my attention, I like them both.

 

 

Here's the effect of more coats. Base colour on both is metallic red. The right picture is one coat of clear orange over that. The left one has two coats of the same. It looks like whatever colour you want can be dialed in by using different base coats and multiple top coats. 

 

 

 

Just as an experiment, here's clear red shot over a Tamiya metallic blue base. Wow! Is that a colour for a chopped Merc or what?

 

 

I'll let this lot dry properly, then add the formula in marker to the other side. It looks like I've just started a Custom Paint Colour Library today. 😁

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by TonyW

[vppelt68]

Maybe one of the greatest and cheapest paint mule solutions ever, thanks for sharing it! That plum metallic colour really deserves a kool kustom Merc to be sprayed on. V-P

[busnproplinerfan]

Good idea on the primer around the wheel arches, makes it look like an old beater patched up. The colours look good and I think my monitor is off a bit, don't know how to set it up. Just by doing those experiments, you don't need to get expensive paints from the custom paint places unless you need a factory correct colour. I like how the clear red looks on the metallic red, always wondered about that, like the purple to.

[Rabbit Leader]

Great going Tony. I’ve also been using spoons for a while now and it certainly does help one settle of which paints look right and suit best. Mind you, I’ve still had the odd problem when the colours looked quite different on a larger surface (Canberra wings) but in the end they do the job nicely. Can’t wait to see what you ‘finally’ choose as your base colour. 
 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

9 hours ago, TonyW said:

I'll let this lot dry properly, then add the formula in marker to the other side. It looks like I've just started a Custom Paint Colour Library today. 😁

When you do start the library, drill holes in the handles and loop a zip tie or string through so you can keep them all together.

Edited November 13, 2019 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[TonyW]

If I get this one done in time it will be a miracle of sorts!

A long weekend away hasn't helped, although I enjoyed the break.  A bit of a problem with plastic reaction has reared its ugly head as well.

The 5 thou skinning I've done on the rear fenders was stuck down with liquid poly. Trying to force dry a coat of paint I applied with a bit of heat saw bubbles appear in the skinning. It looks like there were air gaps between the Monogram plastic and the thin sheet I glued over. They didn't shrink back either, so yet another refinish begins. 

The 5 thou card needed a bit of reinforcing as well. All this bodywork has reduced it to almost transparent plastic. Adding plastic card reinforcement saw yet more problems appear when the lower arches wrinkled a bit. There's not enough time left to re-do them, so I've trimmed the rear edges back a bit in the style of the original Chevy ones. A bit fancy for a Gasser, but needs must. This was all followed by a full rubdown with 240, 400, 1000 and 1500 grits, which got me right back to where I was a week or two ago. Grrr.

 

I've got a couple of coats of white primer on the bodyshell this evening and so long as the colour coats go on OK tomorrow I'm in with an outside chance of finishing the course. I'll need to make a difficult color choice as well. Do I go for the Gold and Candy Orange fancy pants scheme I had decided on, or play it safe with resale red? I'll only get one shot at this now, so I had better pick right!

 

 

 

This also does mean the model is going to have to be a curbside one now. I'll have to build it simple if I want it in the Gallery and I do!

The front suspension will still feature, it is a Gasser after all, but the tilt front is out along with a fully detailed engine bay. I'll come back to both later. For now I 'm aiming at getting it to look good in the photo's. 

 

It's been a rocky ride with this one and it's not over yet!

 

Tony.

[Rabbit Leader]

Good Luck Tony.. lots of work to be done, however if I was a betting man.... I'd back ya in! 

Cheers.. Dave 

[TonyW]

Sadly, this one is not to be.

Sorry Dave it beat me in the end. I'll get back to it at some point, but for now it's off to the Shelf of Doom with it. The umpteenth coat of primer revealed too many flaws to have any realistic chance of any form of completion here. Never mind, win a few, loose a few.

 

Roll on the next GB though.

 

Tony.

[Rabbit Leader]

All good Tony. These things happen and if you weren't quite as picky with colour and finish you would have had it ready by now. But that's OK, no point rushing things, make sure you're happy with it and place it in the RFI section once finished. 

Cheers and thanks for taking part.. Dave